With 28 medals, Coruripe School stands out in OBMEP.

In Coruripe, a municipality in Alagoas with 57,000 inhabitants, the Liege Gama Rocha Municipal Elementary School is writing another page in its history with the OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad for Public Schools). In this edition, 39 students from the school qualified for the second phase of the competition and are eagerly awaiting the results of their effort and dedication. The school gained notoriety in the state after winning 28 medals and 72 honorable mentions in the competition, which guaranteed more opportunities for the award-winning students.

Professor Antônio Gonçalves Fernandes has been teaching mathematics at the Liege Gama School for 16 years, and he says that the creation of the Olympic Mathematics Laboratory in 2013 led many students interested in the subject to participate in more in-depth classes outside of regular school hours. “The goal was to make the subject more fun and enjoyable in the student's knowledge building process, focusing on its application. They follow a path that they themselves try to construct, where they make inferences, raise hypotheses, and draw their own conclusions independently, interacting with other classmates,” he comments.

It was in this context that student Rita Beatriz Lacerda, who was then in the 6th grade of elementary school, had the chance to explore mathematics. “I’ve always had a great interest, but I wanted to go deeper, to know the reason behind each demonstration. Then, in 2018, the school helped me realize that mathematics can be beautiful and challenging,” she says. The opportunity changed her perspective on the subject, the student recounts. “My mathematical knowledge expanded in an inexplicable way, making me want to be more and more involved with mathematics, and this led to many achievements in the OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad for Public Schools), such as medals and a great deal of knowledge,” she says.

Rita has collected honorable mentions and medals in the competition and is eager to know the results of the Olympiad, which will be released in January 2022. “The OBMEP exam requires students to open their minds to problems never seen before, to explore, to feel curious about mathematical problems, and never to limit themselves to the content shown in the classroom,” she comments. In addition to gaining knowledge through her studies, she recognizes that the process also yielded personal gains. “The competitions taught me to work in groups, to want to be better with each test, to control my emotions, making me a better person. I had the honor of meeting people better than me and learning alongside them,” she concludes.

Professor Antônio shares Rita's fascination with the problems posed by the competition. “Since the first edition in 2005, I've been captivated by the dynamic and practical way the Olympiad approached problem-solving, providing me with a new perspective on teaching the subject. I developed a taste for the challenge of creating a methodology based on the OBMEP proposal, generating a love for the subject among students.” For his work in the laboratory with the students, Antônio was awarded by the OBMEP in School Program for six consecutive years. “OBMEP was created with the aim of promoting and stimulating students to study Mathematics, as well as identifying talent in this area. All of this contributes to improving the quality of education, since it allows a significant number of Brazilian students to enter universities,” he states.

Students inspire each other in the competition.

Like Rita, many other students at Liege Gama are protagonists in OBMEP success stories, the result of work focused on transforming classroom mathematics into a subject that generates interest and curiosity. Felipe Adeildo da Silva is in the 9th grade at the school and also became fascinated by mathematics during classes focused on the Olympiad. “The Olympiads opened many doors for me, from a greater understanding of mathematics to financial and academic opportunities. Internship opportunities as a teacher in other schools and studying in private schools without having to pay tuition have become increasingly common over the years,” he explains.

Felipe began participating in the Junior Scientific Initiation Program (PIC Jr.) as an auditor. He would wake up at 4 a.m. every Saturday to catch the bus that would take him to Maceió, where the classes were held. It wasn't long before he earned an honorable mention in the 14th OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad for Public Schools), recognition that he says was fundamental in motivating him to study even harder. A champion in the OBMEP and other knowledge olympiads, the student says that one of the most remarkable results was winning his first bronze medal in the 15th OBMEP. “For my future, plans that were once simple have become more solid. I have confidence in what I've learned, in my knowledge, and in what I can do with it,” he affirms.

The school's general manager, Rosykeila Rogério Silva, emphasizes that the competition is an important event on Liege Gama's calendar. “It's motivating for everyone, not just those who excel in the competition. Those who didn't win also want to win a medal and have the opportunity to receive PIC scholarships. We have students who started in math olympiads and were finalists in other science and Portuguese language competitions, so it boosts all areas,” she says proudly. Like the students, Rosykeila is apprehensive about the results of the 16th OBMEP. “We haven't won our gold medal yet, so we're hoping we'll get it this year,” she says.